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Five essential points to keep your motorcycle in shape
Five essential points to keep your motorcycle in shape

Video: Five essential points to keep your motorcycle in shape

Video: Five essential points to keep your motorcycle in shape
Video: 5 Things to NEVER do on a Motorcycle 2024, March
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In some parts of the world, it is now when motorcycles start to be seen on the street, simply because until it starts to do some good weather the streets and roads are impassable. Luckily in Spain we can enjoy our motorcycles practically throughout the year, but even so, our beloved mounts have to be done some maintenance. Without wanting to get into the work that is done in a professional workshop, there are always some adjustments or revisions that we can do in our own home, well, better in our own garage, than if the issue could end badly with the family. The five essential points to keep your motorcycle in shape are:

Check the oil level in the crankcase

This is one of the most basic operations in the motorcycle world, so much so that in many models it is not even necessary to stain, since the level can be seen through a porthole installed in the crankcase or in the oil tank. In case you need to fill in, we will have to follow the instructions included in the motorcycle manual. There they should tell us the type of oil to use. But you always have to be careful not to exceed the maximum indicated, because if it is bad to carry too little oil, it is also bad to carry too much. In any case, if our motorcycle consumes a lot of oil, it can be a symptom of a more serious breakdown, so it will be necessary to take it to a workshop to have it checked thoroughly.

Refilling oil level
Refilling oil level

We can also roll the blanket over our heads and change the oil and its filter ourselves. For this, we will first need to find out how much oil is in the crankcase and what type, since our engine is designed to work with a specific type of oil and if we change it we can even spoil it. Keep in mind that used oil It must be taken to a polluting material collection point, since it cannot be thrown down the drain or in the trash. And always carry out the operation following the instructions in the manual. If we do not have it, surely in Google we can find an article that explains how to do this on our motorcycle.

Check the wheels

Wheels are the element that keeps us in contact with the asphalt, and they are much more important than people think. Excessively worn, flat, or overly inflated wheels are almost as dangerous as an oil stain on asphalt. The pressure should be the one indicated in the tire specifications, although some variation is allowed to adapt them to the driving style of each one. Pressure should always be checked coldSince the air inside them increases pressure and falsifies the data.

Wheel pressure
Wheel pressure

An excessively worn tire is also dangerous. The law says that you cannot take less than 1.6 mm deep in the drawing, but in many cases people stretch them until the canvases that form it are almost visible, gambling the type to save a few euros. Finally, a tire with adequate tread and pressure can continue to be a danger if the rubber is "stiff", something that can be easily verified by trying to put your finger in it, if it is marked we are going well, if it is impossible or the tire shows cracks and symptoms of having lost elasticity, it is best to throw it away and fit a new cover. This must also be done in a specialized workshop, because used tires have to be recycled.

Check battery

Depending on how old your battery is, it may need a recharge or simply replenish the liquid to its level. This liquid is distilled water, never acid or anything like that, since this water, when mixed with the material inside the battery, recovers its properties and "revives" the battery.

Battery change
Battery change

If you are not very handy, it is best to take the motorcycle to a workshop and have them recharge the battery or replace it with a new one, since the liquid contained in its interior is a mixture of distilled water and sulfuric acid That where it falls burns forever, be it your clothes, your skin or the plates of your precious motorcycle. We better not risk a chemical burn.

Check brake pads and chain

The chain must be tensioned according to what the motorcycle manual says. In addition, it is necessary to check that it is not stretched or worn, which would imply that it must be replaced. If you are able to detach the links from the rear sprocket, it is an unequivocal sign that you have to change the whole assembly, and this should be done by a specialized workshop, because surely you will need tools that you rarely have at home.

Chain
Chain

The brake pads also need to be checked from time to time. To do this, just look through the holes that usually exist in the tweezers, if you are able to see 4 or 5 mm of ferodo is that they are in useIf you go below that measurement or you stop seeing some grooves that carry the pads to control their wear, go and change them as soon as possible, because if the disc touches the metal part of the pads can damage it and then because you want to save a few euros stretching a consumable material too much is going to cost you a lot more.

Clean and lubricate

Once all the previous points have been reviewed, it is time to wash your motorcycle, which is already fine. Some motorcycles do not support well washing them with pressurized water, so a bucket with sponge is the best choice. If you are going to use a soap that you do not know how aggressive it can be, it is better that you first do a test in a corner of the fairing or in another place that is not very visible, lest it eat away at the shine or affect the paint. You should never use a scouring pad, not even in case of persistent dirt, against this the only thing that counts is to soak, wait until it softens and comes out. Once the motorcycle is dry, the chain will have to be greased, it is best to do it with a specific grease spray, and it is always better to grease a little and often than a lot and every long time. A trick is to grease the chain when it is hot, to do a few kilometers and to re-grease a little.

Lubricate chain
Lubricate chain

Modern motorcycles often have few cable transmissions, since the hydraulic controls are much more precise and require less maintenance. When they are worn, the shirts usually include Teflon, so it is not necessary to grease them either. In case your motorcycle requires greasing the brake, gas or clutch cables, you must use a grease with graphite, never oil type three in one, since when it dries it solidifies and will make the cable go even harder in its case. A good idea is to add graphite powder, which is used to grease locks, since this material, when the mechanical parts rub against each other, transforms into a dense oil and performs its lubrication function.

With all these tricks you will have your motorcycle in good shape and it will thank you by always being prepared for when you go to take it. So you will live great moments on the road, where you enjoy driving, not making emergency repairs or getting stuck over a nonsense that you could have calmly corrected at home.

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